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News Release

Atlanta—Today the City of Atlanta’s Utility Committee passed a resolution that would commit the city to generating 100 percent of the electricity consumed in the City through renewable energy resources and associated technologies by 2035. The City’s own facilities would need to be powered by 100 percent clean energy by 2025. The resolution passed with one dissenting vote from Councilmember Howard Shook and will be presented to the full Atlanta City Council at their meeting on Monday May 1st, 2017.

Environment Georgia’s Director, Jennette Gayer, testified during the Committee’s hearing in favor of the resolution and offered the following statement:

“Atlanta can and should be leading the way to a 100% clean energy future. Renewable energy makes us safer and healthier, protecting our communities from global warming and from hazardous air pollution. Renewable energy reduces the need for dangerous and destructive practices like shipping explosive fuels through our cities, fracking for gas near our water supplies, or storing toxic coal ash on the banks of Georgia’s rivers and over our groundwater supplies.

An economy powered by 100 percent renewable energy is within our reach. First, we can reduce the total amount of energy we use through improved efficiency, even as our economy continues to grow. Second, we can tap America’s virtually inexhaustible supplies of energy from the wind, the sun, the land and the oceans.

Atlanta has already begun the transition to a clean energy system. But, with the need to reduce the pollution that causes global warming growing more urgent every day, we need to step up the pace. To maximize the benefits of moving to 100 percent renewable energy, Atlanta must act to accelerate our progress.”